Stop Making Sense: Superfun or Superfraud?
August 14, 2009 2:47 PM Subscribe
I just watched Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense again. I noticed that in "Found a Job" a cymbal crash occurs, but the drummer, who is clearly visible at that moment, does not hit a crash. What's the deal?
It occurs in the first verse of the song, right after the line "I don't know what's the matter."
A quick google brings up a mention of this phantom crash on some movie mistake web site, but that's all I can find.
What might have caused this to happen? At this point in the performance, the only people on stage are the four main members of the band. I think the backup singers and musicians appear in the next song. Is it possible that THs were performing with some audio augmentation in the form of pre-recorded tracks? Or were the backup musicians perhaps playing their instruments backstage to fill in the sound while merely waiting to enter the stage for the sake of visual art?
This is nagging at me quite a bit. This video is one of my favorite pieces of pop culture of all time. To discredit its authenticity might completely shatter my worldview.
Seriously, though, is there an explanation?
It occurs in the first verse of the song, right after the line "I don't know what's the matter."
A quick google brings up a mention of this phantom crash on some movie mistake web site, but that's all I can find.
What might have caused this to happen? At this point in the performance, the only people on stage are the four main members of the band. I think the backup singers and musicians appear in the next song. Is it possible that THs were performing with some audio augmentation in the form of pre-recorded tracks? Or were the backup musicians perhaps playing their instruments backstage to fill in the sound while merely waiting to enter the stage for the sake of visual art?
This is nagging at me quite a bit. This video is one of my favorite pieces of pop culture of all time. To discredit its authenticity might completely shatter my worldview.
Seriously, though, is there an explanation?
From IMDB: "The footage was culled from several different shows. In order to minimize the amount of cameras in the frame, one show was all shot from one side of the stage, the next night was shot from the other side."
There's a scene where someone throws a red hat on stage that causes some other continuity issues as well--if I remember correctly, he had to save the hat and put it back on again the next night in order to have the footage work out. You can see it on the drum stand at one point, I think.
posted by Benjy at 2:59 PM on August 14, 2009
There's a scene where someone throws a red hat on stage that causes some other continuity issues as well--if I remember correctly, he had to save the hat and put it back on again the next night in order to have the footage work out. You can see it on the drum stand at one point, I think.
posted by Benjy at 2:59 PM on August 14, 2009
Yes, the movie is an artful interpretation of what being at a concert would have been like -- and an excellent one, at that. If you listen to the audio soundtrack sold on CD/Tape, you'll notice that at one point Byrne yells out, "Thanks, we'll be right back!" This is changed to "Does anybody have any questions!?!?!" in the film, and because it's shot from behind Byrne's back you can't tell it's an overdub.
The artificiality (in a good sense) of the audio mixing is also brought forth on the DVD that was released a few years ago, where Byrne oversaw both a 'concert' and a 'theatrical' mix to the soundtrack, selectable from the DVD menu, to mimic the live versus theater sound experience at the user's choosing.
posted by squid patrol at 2:59 PM on August 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
The artificiality (in a good sense) of the audio mixing is also brought forth on the DVD that was released a few years ago, where Byrne oversaw both a 'concert' and a 'theatrical' mix to the soundtrack, selectable from the DVD menu, to mimic the live versus theater sound experience at the user's choosing.
posted by squid patrol at 2:59 PM on August 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
er, David Byrne puts the hat on one night and must save it again to wear the next night. Should have previewed.
posted by Benjy at 3:00 PM on August 14, 2009
posted by Benjy at 3:00 PM on August 14, 2009
And later in the film, aren't there two percussionists? (Can't remember at which point in the film that song appears.)
posted by mudpuppie at 3:02 PM on August 14, 2009
posted by mudpuppie at 3:02 PM on August 14, 2009
It was shot over three or four nights as xil says, and the video sometimes is taken from multiple nights (David Byrne cover some impossible geography during "Psycho Killer", for example). It's hard to spot because the show was pretty well choreographed and the band is mostly dressed identically each night, but there are occasional moments like this. There is also a beach ball that gets tossed into the air and never lands.
As well, despite the purism of the band, there is at least one instance of someone offstage performing: during "Heaven," Lynn Mabry is singing backing vocals from backstage. If you listen to the commentary, you know that Byrne agonized over this choice.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:03 PM on August 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
As well, despite the purism of the band, there is at least one instance of someone offstage performing: during "Heaven," Lynn Mabry is singing backing vocals from backstage. If you listen to the commentary, you know that Byrne agonized over this choice.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:03 PM on August 14, 2009 [1 favorite]
That album/film is notorious for all of the post-production that went into it. Finally just became avaliable on Netflix.
posted by sourwookie at 3:10 PM on August 14, 2009
posted by sourwookie at 3:10 PM on August 14, 2009
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I'm also pretty sure the album has plenty of overdubs. Don't know about the movie soundtrack, though.
posted by xil at 2:50 PM on August 14, 2009 [1 favorite]